The British supermarket chain Iceland has started selling pre-packaged bananas in a recycled paper band in a move it says will soon be saving 10 million plastic bags a year. The new packaging has launched in three Iceland stores as an initial trial - and will extend to a further 120 stores later this week, before a national roll-out by the end of the year. The Wales-based retailer with a focus on frozen foods said a total of 420 million packs of bananas were sold in the UK each year and urged other supermarkets to follow its lead. The newly packaged bananas are the first product in any major UK supermarket to bear the Plastic Free Trust Mark, launched by campaign group A Plastic Planet earlier this year. Iceland said the move was part of its commitment to remove plastic from all of its own-label packaging by 2023. Iceland managing director Richard Walker said: "People have become so used to buying their products wrapped in plastic, or indeed using plastic bags for loose produce, and this has to stop if we are to turn down the tap on plastics. "This move alone will have a significant impact on our plastics consumption and is one of the first of many solutions that are in development. Our customers support our move to reduce single use plastic and we are pleased to share this important milestone, with many more to come." Upmarket UK supermarket chain Waitrose replaced plastic bags with a sticky band on its Duchy Organic brand of bananas last month, saying the move would save eight tonnes of plastic a year. It said the band was a temporary step before it introduces compostable bags for Waitrose &amp; Partners Duchy bananas in a few months. Australian Associated Press

UK chain stops selling bananas in plastic

UK supermarket chain Iceland will sell bananas in a recycled paper band rather than in plastic.

The British supermarket chain Iceland has started selling pre-packaged bananas in a recycled paper band in a move it says will soon be saving 10 million plastic bags a year.

The new packaging has launched in three Iceland stores as an initial trial - and will extend to a further 120 stores later this week, before a national roll-out by the end of the year.

The Wales-based retailer with a focus on frozen foods said a total of 420 million packs of bananas were sold in the UK each year and urged other supermarkets to follow its lead.

The newly packaged bananas are the first product in any major UK supermarket to bear the Plastic Free Trust Mark, launched by campaign group A Plastic Planet earlier this year.

Iceland said the move was part of its commitment to remove plastic from all of its own-label packaging by 2023.

Iceland managing director Richard Walker said: "People have become so used to buying their products wrapped in plastic, or indeed using plastic bags for loose produce, and this has to stop if we are to turn down the tap on plastics.

"This move alone will have a significant impact on our plastics consumption and is one of the first of many solutions that are in development. Our customers support our move to reduce single use plastic and we are pleased to share this important milestone, with many more to come."

Upmarket UK supermarket chain Waitrose replaced plastic bags with a sticky band on its Duchy Organic brand of bananas last month, saying the move would save eight tonnes of plastic a year.

It said the band was a temporary step before it introduces compostable bags for Waitrose & Partners Duchy bananas in a few months.